Tuesday, February 28, 2012

What we get up to just about every morning :)

I know it's a bit dark but this had to be filmed as I usually forget to have the camera nearby. Once he's awake (it takes awhile--just like his parents) he's a happy man. He's chatting more and more on a variety of topics and has a love/hate relationship with his stuffed blue octopus. Here he is!! :)

Friday, February 24, 2012

Playtime!

Colin is developing a very strong grip! I enjoy his grip on my hand but he's also starting to grab his toys and talk to himself. So fun!


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Grandpa's Painting

My dad is a gifted artist for those of you who aren't aware. It's something that runs in our family and it's fun to see it carried on from generation to generation. One of his favorite topics to portray is Haystack Rock, found at Cannon Beach Oregon. Growing up, our family went there almost every summer to spend a few days in a lovely rented beach house with our dear Grandparents and fabulous cousins. Those are among my favorite memories and I think that my siblings share this love. I'm pleased to say that we still adore this place and have returned to it as adults and are planning a trip once more this summer, with our children. I can't wait to introduce Colin to the Oregon beaches as well as to the joyful hubbub that is our family as we saturate ourselves in salty air, windy days, gorgeous sunsets, and driftwood smoke from our beach fire. Have you ever sat on a log by such a fire, cozy in a sweatshirt, digging into the sand with your toes to find the warmer layers and watching the sky turn brilliant pink and gold?
But I am getting a bit off track singing the praises of the beach. I bring this up because we have two paintings of Haystack Rock by my dad. The larger one hangs over our couch and since we brought Colin home, it has been fascinating to him. Oh sure--the skeptics among you can say he just likes the contrasting frame against the wall, but you know, he looks at it EVERY day and as he gets older, he looks at it and smiles and waves around and gets generally excited.
I tell him that it is Grandpa's painting. I tell him that we will be there in a few months and that he will feel that sand on his little toes and touch the wet ocean. I tell him how happy our family has been there and how special that place is to us. And I repeat that it is Grandpa's painting--one of his best in my opinion. Sometimes I feel like Edmund and Lucy in Dawn Treader. I feel I could just walk into that painting and be on the beach and our family would all be there. If the there was a true Narnia according to Lewis, I like to think that when our 'holidays' begin, they will start with the true Cannon Beach. Thanks Grandpa.
Colin looks at Grandpa's painting

Monday, February 20, 2012

A day at the Zoo!

It's quite complicated to get across England. I could go into reasons why, but it would take far too long. Suffice it to say, that this makes it more difficult to see Brooke and Dan, who live in Cambridge. Thus, we try to meet up in London whenever we can and our visits are always a delight. This time, since Caedmon is much more mobile we went to the London Zoo. It worked quite well for our little ones and we really enjoyed Caedmon's excitement at seeing all the animals. Colin spent most of the time sleeping or being fascinated with whatever was on the ceiling, rather than the animals. :) We'll get there. Despite a huge downpour at the end of the day that left all of us looking like we had waded in a pond, we had a terrific time!

How Colin started the day

The tiger was very cooperative and came right up to the glass. I think Caedmon could have stayed there all day.


This parrot was hilarious. He's hanging in a  mega awkward position and was squawking at the blue parrot in the next enclosure. The blue parrot was ignoring him in favor of looking at the two other parrots in the enclosure on the other side who were necking. Ah animal drama! I needed Natali Monnette there. :)

The Meerkats were great. Caedmon loved these too.

The dads were very patient.

The sloth was hilarious. I missed getting him hanging upside down.

I think chameleons are one of many examples of God's sense of humor. I LOVE the eyeballs and this guy's buzzed expression

Caedmon's little brother was there too, he just didn't have as good of a view. :)

Poisonous, but very cool

How Colin ended the day.

He was amazing.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Some more Colin time!


Our boy gets more and more aware of his world all the time. It's fun to capture it and share it with the fam. So here he is. :)

My plug for the Hummingbird Bakery cook book!

Mark got me this cook book for my birthday and I have loved everything I've made from it. From the raspberry cheesecake brownies to the Mississippi mud pie, it's been fabulous. Good thing we have to walk a lot.....


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day at Chez Wilson

Eating out is pricey. And we have an infant. Thus, we had a lovely date at home for Valentine's day. I wore a dress, Mark donned a tie, Colin wore a diaper. :) Last year I made us PF Chang's style lettuce wraps, so this year I was much more traditional and did steak with sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes, broccoli and a luscious key lime pie for dessert. We had it all--the candlelight, the classical music, the wine, oh and a small man in his bouncy seat who liked to stare at us and be cute.






Wednesday, February 8, 2012

All the little moments

So today Colin smiled at me. He did I promise. The thing is I have no photographic proof, because of course as soon as you grab the camera, he refuses to do it again. He has so many great little faces and noises, that I almost wish we could have our own version of the Truman show and have a camera on him all the time.
But all that to say, he really gave me his first real grin, unsolicited by gas or achieving a truly epic diaper. (which he has done twice in the last week, both times while I was on the phone.) Everyone tells you how fast babies change at this age and they're so right. So I have spent a lot of time when I hold him just looking at all his little features and trying to imprint them on my brain, because as my mother-in-law recently told me "you turn around to do the dishes and turn back to find that they're 18!" So I love looking at the chubby rolls that he is developing around his wrists and thighs. And I like playing with his fingers and tiny hands. And I absolutely LOVE the feel of soft baby breath in my ear as he snuggles his head on my shoulder. And I love his little (and big!) grunts for well, no reason that I can see and of course, who can resist baby toes?
He definitely knows Mark and I and he loves to stare at his daddy while Mark works on something. He also likes to lie on Mark's chest and just have some man to man time while they watch rugby. Well, Mark watches rugby, and Colin watches Mark. :)
I tried to take some video of Colin smiling, but of course he refused, but he's still cute so up it goes on the blog!